HM Gemini
by drchix
Summary: Shane and Jordan snuck out and got caught. Celia and Nami are nervous and excited about the changes in the town. What does this mean for them? Will they find love, or are the guys’ hearts already spoken for? What other secrets does the town hold? Plz R
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All the Harvest Moon characters, locations, scenarios, and whatever else belong to Natsume, NOT US. Chrissy, however, is a character I (Lauren) made up, so belongs to me. The main plot is original, originating from our brains, but some of the stuff comes from HM Games, so that belongs to Natsume as well.

Summary: Shane and Jordan snuck out and got caught. Celia and Nami are nervous and excited about the changes in their town. What does this mean for them? Will they find love, or are the guys' hearts already spoken for? What other secrets will be unveiled on this journey of friendship, love, and disappointment?

**Note:** _'Words like this, that are italicized and with apostrophe's on the ends, are thoughts'_

"Word like this, not italicized and with quotation marks on the ends, are speech."

**Word in bold are emphasized.**

* * *

Chrissy woke with a start. What was that noise? She lay there, waiting for it to go away so she could sleep. She never could sleep unless there was complete silence. The noise only seemed to grow louder, and now she could hear whispering. It sounded like it was coming from the living room. It was probably just her stupid brothers pulling some kind of prank on their parents again. _'Last time they toilet-papered the whole apartment building. What are they up to now?'_ She was wide awake as she swung her feet onto the plush carpet. _'I'm glad I finally got to redo my room. The old floor was so cold. Whatever, I need to go see what those idiots are up to.' _She never had her door completely closed, so she could silently pull it open if she woke up in the night needing to use the bathroom. It worked to her advantage now. _'Maybe I can sneak up on them and teach them a lesson' _she thought, a small smile crossing her lips. 

She walked into the living room only to find it empty. The noises stopped for a second as she entered, but the whispering soon resumed. She could make out the words clearly now. Someone was outside the front door.

"Shhhh. We can't wake anyone up. You are so loud!" a voice hissed.

"You shut up! You're making way more noise than me. Just pick the lock" said a second voice.

Chrissy froze. There were two of them. And they were breaking in. She ran back to her room and shut the door. _'Surely mom and dad will wake up! I'll wake up the boys and see what they think.'_ Silently she ran across the hall to her brothers' room. She ran over to the first sleeping form and began to shake.

"Jordan, wake up!" she whispered. The sleeping form fell apart. Suddenly, she knew. She knew that when she pulled back the blanket, all she would find was some pillows, blankets, and maybe some clothes. Immediately she knew who was at the door. She pulled back the blanket on the opposite bed to confirm her suspicion. _'I'm gonna kill those boys!'_

She ran back down the hall to the living room, then to the front door. Quickly she unlocked it and threw it open. She was right. There stood dumb and dumber with their mouths hanging open in surprise. She grabbed their arms and pulled them inside the apartment.

"What are you guys doing? You snuck out again? You know what mom and dad said they'd do if you snuck out again. And you're not even good at it! Why didn't you take some keys with you! You really scared me. I thought someone was breaking in! What if the neighbors had heard you and called the cops!" Chrissy broke down into tears, exhausted from her fear and relief.

"Jordan forgot to get the keys. Promise you won't tell mom and dad?"

"Shane was supposed to get them! Are you all right Chris?" Chrissy looked up at the identical faces and nodded, only to see a "oh no now we're done for" look cross them. She spun around, and through the remaining tears saw parents. Angry parents.

* * *

Well this is our first fanfic. I know the prologue is a little short. Please review, no flaming, but constructive criticism is welcomed. 

This is one story that is truly writing itself. Who knew Shane and Jordan had a sister? I didn't even know until I began typing. We're really excited about writing this fanfic and seeing what secrets are revealed. Again, please review. -drchix


	2. Chapter 1: Boys and Face Soap

Hey, drchix here. We hope you like this chapter. It might be a little confusing at first to see how the prologue fits into everything, but that's ok. Everything will get explained... eventually. R&R!

Disclaimer: We don't own Harvest Moon or any of its characters or places. The plot is mostly our own, but w/e, just give it to Natsume to be safe.

Thanks to shippostail, Princess of the Al Bhed, and Royal Expectations for your reviews of the prologue! They were encouraging. And Royal Expectations, you'll see how the prologue has to do with HM in this chapter, though it will make more sense later.

Lauren: This chapter was co-written, so if you don't like something... Liz probably wrote it! J/K J/K!

Liz: Not True!!!!! I write fine. Btw, We need to do our profile page!!!

Lauren: Yeah, I know, but we're lazy... anyway, let's just get this chapter up!

**Note:** _'Words like this, that are italicized and with apostrophe's on the ends, are thoughts'_

"Word like this, not italicized and with quotation marks on the ends, are speech."

**Word in bold are emphasized.**

* * *

**_Beep! Beep! Beep!_**

Celia opened her eyes to a brilliantly bright new day. Celia sat up and stretched. Yawning, she looked at the alarm clock. _'7:00!! I slept in! I thought I set the alarm for 6:30!!!!!!! Ack, Vesta must have changed it after I went to sleep! A good woman, just a little too meddlesome!'_ Celia got up and made her bed. Her room was always tidy. She knew exactly where everything was.

Unlike her best friend, Nami. _'I don't know how Nami survives in that room! An organized mess, as Nami always called it.'_ Celia went to her dresser drawer and pulled out her hairbrush. She brushed her hair out and thought about Nami. _'Nami always says I have perfect hair, but what she doesn't know is I have split ends!'_

Celia went downstairs for breakfast. Marlin and Vesta were already at the table.

"Hey, what's for breakfast?" _'Please not fruit salad!'_

Vesta set a bowl on the table. "Fruit Salad," Vesta grinned, "Come on, and sit down."

"Again." Marlin frowned.

Celia giggled. _'That's just like Marlin, grumpy and always in a rotten mood. Actually, he and Nami might make a pretty good couple...' _"Vesta, Did you reset my alarm clock last night?"

"Yeah, I thought you could use some extra sleep," Vesta smiled," Plus, it was only a half an hour difference."

'_That was a half an hour I needed!'_ "Well, Thank you," Celia smiled, "I feel extremely rested." _'Why can't I speak my mind?!'_

Marlin watched Celia's reaction closely. He could tell she was unhappy, even though she smiled. _'Why can't she see that... ... ...Never Mind, No use thinking it.'_

Vesta started clearing the table. "Celia, We have some new neighbors in town."

"Really, Who?"

Marlin spoke up. "The River Brothers, over at River Crossing Ranch. Probably stuck up rich boys."

"Really?" Celia's face shined with excitement. "How old?"

"23, I believe." Marlin mumbled. _'Oh great, that's all I need. Competition!'_

Celia looked over at Marlin. His face was full of annoyance. _'What's with Marlin? Oh well, I gotta go tell Nami!!! Boys! Yay!!!!'_ Celia got up and headed out the door in a hurry.

Vesta rolled her eyes. _'That child moves fast! She's a hard worker, though. She'll make someone a good wife. Speaking of, I gotta call that guy at the Callaway Ranch'_

Celia rushed out the door. She lives a small distance from Nami's house. _'Nami doesn't actually have a house. Just a room at the Inn. She could live with me, That might be fun.'_

Celia walked across the bridge. She glanced to her right and saw two young men unloading a truck. _'Oh my! they are so hot! I need face soap! Wow, that was_ _random.'_

Celia watched them unload furniture and other such things. _'Wow. They're strong! Just to be able to lift a bed frame on their own... I wonder if they have girlfriends...Maybe I could...Whoa, wait Celia, You don't even know them yet! I mean, come on...'_

Just then Celia tripped and fell flat on her face. _'Oh, smart Celia. Stare at people and not watch where you're walking!'_

Celia started to get up. she opened her eyes and she saw a someone's leg. She looked up to see one of the guys standing next to her. He bent down at her side.

"Are you ok?"

Celia just stared at him. _'Oh, great! Say Something! Celia, Prove your not a Mute!'_

"Um, I'm Shane."

"..." _'My name is Celia. Why can't I say that?!'_

Shane grabbed Celia's arm and helped her up. Celia blushed. She could feel her whole face turning beet red. _'Oh my gosh, This is so embarrassing!! Celia turned and ran away. I've got to tell Nami!'_

She ran in the Inn and a said a rapid hello to Tim as she ran up the stairs. Tim didn't even have time to reply.

**xxx**

"Nami, Nami!!!" shouted Celia as she pounded on the bedroom door. Her normally serene face showed a mixture of excitement and aggravation. _'How can Nami sleep so long? How late does she even sleep to? I always hang out with her in the afternoons…' _"I have something to tell you! WAKE UP!!!"

"I'm afraid it's no use, she **never** wakes up before 9:00." Celia jumped at Ruby's gentle voice and spun around to face her. _'I've never seen Celia look so annoyed'_thought Ruby. "Would you like to leave her a message with me?"

"Um, no thanks… I think Nami is going to wake up early this morning. Never say never." Celia whirled around, ready to storm into Nami's room. The doorknob twisted slowly just as she began to reach for it. "Ack!" She jumped back slightly and watched as the door creaked open. There stood Nami, her short red hair sticking out in every direction, wearing only her underclothes.

"What is going on? I'm trying to slee…" Nami yawned loudly. _'Are these people insane? Who can be that… happy in the morning? On that note, who can be that happy at all? Well Ruby looks happy, I can't say the same for Celia… but she looks fully awake at least.'_ "Can't you read?" she asked, pointing to the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door.

"I was just telling Celia that you –" A brief look of annoyance passed over Ruby's face when she was interrupted.

"Celia? What are you doing?" Nami had just noticed that Celia's back was turned. Her coffee colored hair looked perfect, even at this time in the morning. _'I hate morning people. Well not really, I don't think I could hate my best friend, but still, I'm not even dressed yet!'_ "Celia?"

"Why don't you have any clothes on?" _'She probably couldn't find anything in that messy room.'_ Celia both shuddered and smiled at that thought. "I need to tell you something. Get dressed!" Celia heard Nami sigh and begin to shut the door.

"I do have clothes on. Good grief." Nami rolled her eyes as she shut the door. "Come back later, I'm going back to bed." The door was almost shut when it stopped abruptly. Celia had put her foot there, blocking it and Nami's blissful sleep. "CELIA!" Nami whined.

"Let. Me. In." Nami laughed a little at Celia's scrunched up face. "You are getting dressed whether you want to or not. If you don't behave, I might even give you a manicure!" Nami rolled her eyes and walked over to her dresser. She pulled out a pair of denim shorts, a white t-shirt, and a denim vest. Celia walked in tentatively, trying to find a free space on the floor for her feet. "Do you have any variety at all in your wardrobe?"

"Aren't you nice today. Is it almost 'that time of the month' for you? And yes, my wardrobe varies --- some of my t-shirts are colored," Nami spoke as she pulled her clothes on. She searched around on the dresser until she found her hairbrush behind that old broken radio. _'I really need to get rid of that thing.'_ She pulled the brush through her unruly hair a few times then glanced into the full-length mirror at the other end of the room. _'I'm glad I don't have to do much to my hair as long as I keep it short. I don't see how Celia can deal with that hair everyday, even if it is gorgeous.'_

"Sorry… I didn't mean to act like that. It's just that I HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU!!!" Nami was a great friend, and Celia didn't like to yell, but honestly, Nami could be so aggravating sometimes!

"SO TELL ME!" Nami yelled back, digging around for her ash-colored eyeliner. _'Maybe I left it in my purse… maybe not. Where is it?'_ She finally saw it sticking out from under the dresser, and she found her peach lip-gloss as well. _'Ok, just these few touch-ups, and I'm good to go.'_ She turned her attention to Celia's words. The makeup was applied automatically, the result of several years of practice.

'_Finally!'_ "There is some new people moving in at River Crossing Ranch!" Celia jumped up a little and squealed as the spoke.

'_Honestly, sometimes this girl is just way too happy' _thought Nami. "You woke me up **and** threatened to give me a manicure for that!" Nami looked down at her hands. They weren't spectacular, but they were groomed. "They are just people. Won't they still be there in two hours?" She flopped back on the bed and closed her eyes. "Goodnight. Goodbye."

"Nami get up! They aren't just _any_ people." A smile pulled at Celia's mouth. "They are guys. Twin guys. Hot twin guys! Hot 23-year old twin guys! Let's go!!!" She squealed, then grabbed Nami's hand and pulled her up. "Come on!"

"Go where? If you've already met them, then they must be morning people. As if I don't already have enough of those bothering me today." Nami shot a teasing grin at Celia then dodged the pillow thrown her way. "Seriously though, doesn't that guy Takawakalaka live at that farm? I always knew he was strange. I guess I just didn't know **how **strange." Nami wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"It's Takakura. And um, no, it's nothing like **that**. If you were a little more sociable and interested in people's lives, you would know that Takakura was once married and had a child, around 20 years ago. Sarah, his wife, took their 1-year old daughter to the spring to pick flowers and a giant storm came up. Sarah started running home and tripped on a fallen log. The child fell into the river and before Sarah could get up and try to grab the baby, it was already too far away. She jumped into the river after it and… well some people from Flower Bud Village brought back the body. The baby was never found." Big tears welled up in Celia's eyes.

"How do you know that? You would've been to young to remember anything." _'Man she gets emotional.'_ Nami fought against rolling her eyes at Celia's crying.

"My parents are the ones who found the body. I used to live in Flower Bud, remember? Vesta and my mom were good friends before… before she went to go live with Marlin. Since they knew that it was no one from Flower Bud, my parents brought Sarah's body to the next town up the river, in Forget-me-not Valley."

'_Before what? What isn't she telling me?'_ thought Nami. She could see that her friend was drying her tears but still looked a little depressed. _'Where's the happy girl I know?'_ "Hey, it's almost 9:00. We better go check out those hot guys pretty quickly. Once Lumina hears about them her piano skills will suffer, Muffy will be giving out free drinks like she did when Gustafa moved here, and I know Flora gets tired of Carter sometimes. We better go show those guys that there are some normal girls in this town."

Celia was laughing by the time Nami finished her speech. "Us, normal?" _'I'm happy, and Nami is always depressed. We balance each other out. That's why we are such good friends. But are we normal? Never!'_ "All right, let's go!" Celia laughed all the way down the stairs, and even Nami let out a few giggles as she reflected on the pep talk.

* * *

We hope you liked it! The second chapter is still being written. It's all floating up there in our heads somewhere, it's just a matter of writing it down. Please R&R, no flames since they are totally pointless... and mean.

Lauren:We want at least 10 reviews before we put up the next chapter, and since it's not written yet, there should be plenty of time to get those reviews...

Liz: Oh My Gosh, It's Lauren, aka. Help, I'm talking and I can't shut up!!!!!

Lauren: Oh my gosh, it's Liz, aka: I'm so blonde that I bug Lauren about talking, and yet I just have to type something so nobody will forget about me!

Liz: ...: ( ...Not Fair...Just Post The Story!!!!!!!!!!

Lauren: Alright, alright... blondie


	3. Chapter 2: Moving In and Crazy Girls

Disclaimer: We don't own Harvest Moon, but we both have several of the games

Ok, chapter 2 is up! Enjoy!

**Note:** _'Words like this, that are italicized and with apostrophe's on the ends, are thoughts'_

"Words like this, not italicized and with quotation marks on the ends, are speech."

**Words in bold are emphasized.**

* * *

Tim walked out of Rock's bedroom. _'That good-for-nothing boy. His mom and I run this inn and provide for him, and he goes around daydreaming about girls all the time. He better get up and go help those new folks like I told him to.'_ Tim was lost in his thoughts and didn't notice the girls coming down the stairs. It was only as they stepped out the door that he realized Nami was awake. _'It's not even 8 o'clock yet! Is there something wrong? It doesn't look like there is anything wrong. I'd better ask though. I've never seen Nami up at this time.'_ The door had slammed shut as these thoughts came to him, so he ran the short distance to the door and opened it. "Nami!" 

Nami whirled around at the sound of her name. _'Oh, it's just Tim. I wonder what he wants.'_ "Oh hey Tim. What do you need?" _'Please save me from having to meet the neighbors'_ she silently pleaded. Social skills were not her strong point, and she couldn't seem to catch Celia's excitement about meeting new people, no matter who they are.

"Is something wrong?" Tim looked genuinely concerned.

"Um… no, why do you ask?"

Celia joined in the conversation. "He wants to know why you're even alive at this time in the morning, duh!"

Nami stuck her tongue out at her friend, and then turned to answer Tim. "Well Celia seems to get overly hyper when someone of the opposite sex moves to Forget-Me-Not, and she decided that I have to share her excitement. I'll find a way to get her back though!" Nami gave a small smile then turned away to continue the walk to the old farm. "See ya later!" She yelled back towards the inn.

_'That girl. She's changed so much in the past 8 months. Well at least around Celia, Ruby, and I. She still has a hard time opening up to others though. Where is Rock? I've got to tell him to get over to River Crossing and see what kind of competition he has. That ought to get him out of bed.'_ Tim went over to his son's door and opened it, only to find that Rock hadn't budged at all from before. "Rock, get out of bed! It seems that the girls of Forget-Me-Not have a few more choices now!"

**xXx**

Nami glanced at Celia, who was walking slightly ahead of her. An overwhelming sense of panic began to rise in her stomach. _'I really don't want to meet these people, no matter who they are. I have to get away. But how?' Get her talking _said a small voice in her head_. 'Yes, that's it. But what to talk about? I've got it!'_ "So, Celia, you already met these guys, right?"

"Um..." Celia gave an embarrassed look at her friend. _'Should I tell her?'_ "I don't think that "met" is the right word. I mean, I know that there are two of them, brothers. I guess I don't really know if they're twins. Marlin only said that they were the Rivers brothers, and when I asked how old, he said 23. I guess I just assumed that they were twins since he only gave one age. They might not even be twins, or if they are, they might not be identical." A pebble rolled in front of her. _'Nami must've kicked it. How much more should I tell?'_ "I've only seen one, and I know he's hot. He has these gorgeous brown eyes. If the other brother has only half his looks we'll be in luck. Of course if we're really lucky they'll _be_ identical twins!"

Nami had listened for only a few seconds, and then kicked a pebble up the road a bit to show she was still there. Celia could talk forever, but if you didn't stick around before she really got going then she noticed right away. Nami walked backwards a few steps, and then ran over to the grass to silence her steps. _'If I can just make it to Turtle Swamp, I'll be safe... good thing she's a little ditzy.'_

"I never knew that a guy could look so hot in just jeans and a t-shirt. And his name. Shane. So citified yet so wild. I call Shane! Unless his brother's hotter, of course!" Celia giggled. _'Man, Nami is being awfully quiet. Oh well, that's just how she is, especially when it comes to this kind of stuff. I need to encourage her though! What to say...'_ "Well we'll have to see their personalities too though. I mean, I know that looks aren't all that counts. With my luck you'll get the hotter guy!" she teased to her friend.

**xXx**

"Shane, get in here with those dishes! I want to get them all put away!" Chrissy yelled out the door to her brother, pushing her honey-blonde bangs out of her eyes for the umpteenth time. _'Honestly, what's taking him so long? The box isn't that heavy!'_ Lost in her thoughts, she jumped back when a large shadow stepped in front of her. She jumped back, and then looked up to see her brother. "Oh there you are," she murmured.

"Yeah, and can you please get out of the way. I can't hold these boxes forever." Shane grunted and stepped through the door as his sister moved out of the way. "Jordan, come help me take these upstairs. I won't be able to balance them by myself." He looked over at his sister. "I think the dishes are on the top. Get 'em off here will ya?" He asked, bending down slightly so she could reach.

She found the box marked 'Dishes --- Kitchen' and grabbed it off the top. It was heavier than she expected. "Why'd you bring in so many at a time?"

"Because the more boxes I bring, the less trips I take. The less trips I take, the more time I have to go find that cute girl." Shane grinned at his sister, daring her to comment on his reasoning. She hesitated, about to say something, but then just rolled her eyes.

"Huh what? A cute girl? Where?" Jordan asked as he reached the bottom of the stairs. "Just put those boxes on the floor there, we'll take them up later. Either that or we can procrastinate and Chrissy will do it for us, right?" He winked at his sister, who had an annoyed look on her face.

"Sure I will. I mean, honestly, I just have all the time in the world, right? No matter that I have to go back to the city tonight. And all you two can think about is girls. That's a surprise." Chrissy started arranging the kitchen, turning around to hide the tears in her eyes. _'I can't believe they are actually moving.'_

"Uh, yeah, let's go finish getting the boxes from the moving truck and I'll tell you about that girl." Shane put the boxes down and headed out the door, waiting for his brother to follow. As they walked towards the truck, he began to describe the brunette. "Man, she was hot. She had this gorgeous brown hair and her eyes man, her eyes were to die for. She was wearing a long skirt and a normal shirt, but it looked good on her. Not all weird and frumpy looking like the girls in the city." Shane turned to his brother, only to notice that Jordan was staring off towards the town. "Whatcha looking at?"

"Um, I think I found your brunette" Jordan said with a smile on his lips. He pointed down the hill to a brown-haired girl walking on the path below. "That her?"

**xXx**

"Nami!" _'Crap, he noticed me!'_ Nami thought. As she ran towards Turtle Swamp, she saw Cody sitting at the edge of the pond. He was just sitting there thinking, it looked like. Nami had decided to go to the beach instead to try to avoid him. But now that he noticed her... _'Well, I could just pretend I didn't hear him. Yeah, that's what I'll do. The sooner I can get out of Celia's sight the better.'_

...how long they'll be here." Celia stopped talking when she heard a distant voice calling her friend. It sounded like Cody. _'He likes Nami so much, why does she act so rude to him?'_ She didn't notice the two pairs of brown eyes watching her from up the hill.

Celia turned around to tell Nami to at least be nice to Cody. It was only then she noticed her friend wasn't there. She glanced down the hill, the direction that the voice had come from, just in time to see a red head of hair disappearing toward the beach. _'I can't believer her! Why does she always run away from stuff like this? I should've know she'd try something.'_ Celia leapt into a sprint, determined to bring her friend back, but her long skirt kept tearing at her legs. _'Uggh, I like wearing skirts, but they're a little inconvenient at a time like this.'_ She pulled her skirt up past her knees, willing to do whatever possible to get Nami back up here quickly. Her legs were finally free, and nobody saw her anyway. Most people in town were either off to work already, or wouldn't be out at this time in the morning. '_Except Cody'_ a nagging thought came to her. _'Oh well, he'll just have to deal. I need to find Nami.'_

**xXx**

Unbeknownst to Celia, "her" hot guy had watched this scene from afar. Jordan was doubled over in laughter, partly because of the girl's behavior, and partly because of the shocked expression his twin wore. "Stop that" Shane growled at him. "Come on, we have more boxes to unpack. Chris can't do it all herself." He stalked off, but his mind wasn't on the move. No, it was definitely still occupied with the girl, but now different thoughts came to him. _'When she didn't speak this morning, I just thought she was shy. But I just saw her talking --- to herself. And then she spun around with that... that confused/surprised look on her face, and then ran off down the hill. And when she lifted up her skirt we could practically see her underwear! It might've been... sexy in a different situation, but that was just embarrassing. Hold up...! I don't even know the girl.'_ _He grabbed a few boxes from truck and started back to the house as his thoughts continued. 'Just my luck. My parents force me to move out to some farm in the boonies, and I find hotter girls there than in the city. Now I find out that the girls here are loony. Mom and Dad probably knew that, and sent us here for torture.'_ He walked in the door with a scowl on his sweat-laden face.

Chrissy spun around to see who had come in the door. It was just Shane. _'Wait, what's he mad about? I thought he was all excited about that girl…'_ "What's wrong with you?" _'Maybe Jor stole the girl from him... hehe.'_ She struggled to keep the smile off her face and waited for an answer.

_'She's been crying'_ he realized, seeing remnants of tears on her cheeks. His face slightly softened until he heard her question. "I'm taking these boxes upstairs," he said harshly. _'What's she smiling about anyway?'_

"Lunch will be ready soon!" She called, hoping to get his mind off of whatever was bothering him. "What kind of sandwich do you want?"

**xXx**

As Celia neared the beach, she could see a few specks of red through the trees. She paused for a minute near Turtle Swamp to catch her breath and rinse her sweat-laden face off in the cool water. She looked up when she heard her name called, recognizing the same deep voice that had called out to her friend only minutes earlier. "Hey Cody, what's up?" _'Please hurry up, I need to go find Nami!'_

"Well, I saw Nami running past here only a few minutes ago. It looked like she was running from something." Cody paused, lost in thought for a second. _'And she didn't answer me. I know she heard me. There's no way she couldn't have.'_ The large man shook off his thoughts and continued speaking. "Was she running from you? Did you do something to hurt her?" He asked accusingly.

"NO! I would never hurt Nami! Well, I did make her get up early this morning, but that isn't why she's running." Celia shook her head as she spoke. '_That isn't why she's running at all.'_ "I woke her up early because I wanted her to meet the new people in town. They're gonna live at the ranch. Somewhere on the way to meet them she decided she didn't want to."

"Oh" was all Cody said, though his thoughts sped around, not giving him any peace. _'New people? Who are they? Guys? Girls? Old people? Why doesn't Nami want to meet them?'_

When she saw Cody's far-away look, Celia grabbed the chance to get away. "Well, um, I've really got to get going Cody. I've got to find Nami and meet those people soon so I can start work for the day. I forgot to ask for a day off, so I don't imagine that I have one." A polite smile crossed her lips before she headed towards the beach. _'I don't think he heard a word I just said. Honestly, all you have to do is get that guy thinking about… whatever he was thinking about and he just ignores the world.'_

Celia reached the beach, heading west, the direction Nami had gone. She saw the redhead about 50 feet away, sitting on a rock with her back facing the town. The first thought that struck her would have been amusing in a different situation, but at the moment it was slightly depressing. _'She reminds me of a little kid; how they think that if they can't see anybody, than nobody can see them. Why is she trying so hard to hide from the world?' _She started towards the girl on the rocks, accidentally stepping on a small twig. A surprisingly loud **snap** rang through the crisp morning air.

She knew who it was before she turned around. Cody had given her away, and now Celia had come to find her. Slowly she turned to meet a pair of gray-brown eyes filled with concern. "Fine, I'll come," Nami said, in a voice barely over a whisper. She made her way down the rocks to her friend. "Come on. Lets go meet the Rivers." A small sigh escaped her lips, the only outward sign that she didn't really want to go. Celia's face filled with confusion momentarily, then she composed herself and they began to walk up towards the ranch, this time silently.

**xXx**

Three young people, obviously related to one another, sat around a small table that had come with the rest of their things. The silence was deafening. One brother sat glaring at his twin barely tasting the giant sub that was his lunch. The victim of the cold stares was looking at his plate, seemingly interested in his own sandwich, but it wasn't out of guilt, embarrassment, or shame. No, he was only trying to hide his laughter. How could he help but enjoy the predicament his brother was in? The third figure at the table was a young girl, the youngest of the three. Lunch was prepared, a grilled ham and cheese for her brothers and a toasted tomato, pickle, and mustard for herself. _'How can they stand to eat lunchmeat? It's so… gross.' _A slight shudder ran through her shoulders. It was only then she noticed the twin's demeanors. _'What's going on? Why is there a tension between them? They shouldn't start out like this their first day.'_

"What is wrong with you guys?" The slender girl's words cut through the icy air, but it didn't seem that her brothers had heard. Her head dropped down, and they continued to eat in silence for a few minutes, until the food was almost gone. All three jumped when a soft, tentative knock sounded at the door. A glance at the twins told Chrissy that she would have to be the one to answer the door. She rose and dumped her empty plate into the sink in one fluid motion. Another knock sounded as she walked towards the door. _'Who could it be? They're really impatient!'_ She opened it quickly, only to find a shy brunette and a bored looking red head. Behind her, Jordan could no longer contain his laughter. _'Since when are girls funny to him?'_

She glanced back at Shane to see his reaction, noting that his expression had gotten darker. _'And since when does he hate girls? Oh wait, I wonder if one of these is the girl he was talking about earlier? I better introduce myself.'_ Seeing the brunette's stare and the red head's amusement, she realized that her thoughts must have taken her away longer than she thought

"Oh… hey… sorry about that, I just got lost in my thoughts for a second. I'm Chrissy." She extended her hand, but only the brunette shook it. In the other girl all she met was a stoic pair of ice blue eyes.

"No problem, I know what that's like." The brunette gave her a sympathetic smile and continued. "My name's Celia…" She glanced over at her friend, but the other girl made no move to speak. "…And that's Nami. We can't stay long, it took us longer than expected to get here, and I really need to get to work." Celia could see that the occupants of the house had been eating lunch, even though it was just past 11 o'clock. _'If only Nami would've walked faster. Vesta is going to kill me, and I'll probably have to work this weekend to make up for today's lost time.'_

"Well surely you can come in for a few minutes and have a cup of tea or something! I can' make a sandwich for you if you like." Chrissy ushered the girls inside. "Shane, Jordan, pull up some more chairs." _'Uggh! I'll have to do it myself! What is wrong with them?"_ Her brothers were just sitting there, staring at the visitors. She'd never guess the reason for their speechlessness.

**xXx**

**Shane's thoughts while the previous section took place:** _'Why does Jordan find this so amusing? You'd find it amusing too, if the situation were reversed. What? Where'd that come from? Shut up conscience! But honestly, why is Jordan so immature? He shouldn't be laughing at me! He thinks that he can hide the fact that he's laughing by looking away. I know him better than that.' _

He heard Chrissy say something, and then she looked kinda peeved, but Shane mostly ignored her. _'What does she have to be mad about?' She didn't even make the sandwich right. Unless she switched Jordan's and mine. She probably did it on purpose too.'_

A knock on the door made him jump, but he made no move to answer it. _'Let Chrissy do it, or better yet, Jor. Maybe that would get his mind off of my misery. I swear, if he doesn't stop before we go back outside…'_ He glanced over as his sister pulled the door open. _'Who's the hottie in the green? Wait a minute…. NOOOOO! Could this day get any worse? And to think, I'm gonna have to live in this town, with these people, and with my idiotic brother… I won't be able to escape! What if this town is like that movie The Stepford Wives? Ok, that's going a little far….'_

Shane turned his attention back towards the door, only to find that the cute brunette had a name, Celia. _'Wait a minute, she's talking! And to a person, not herself! Yet another side of the mystery girl… I want to get to know her… wait, she's crazy, remember? She might NOT be crazy, what if she was just singing or something? Oh… I'm so confused…'_

**Jordan's thoughts while the previous section took place: **_'This is hilarious! Would you find it hilarious if you were in Shane's position? Who said that? Stupid conscience. He's so mad, but why at me? I didn't do anything. He always could pick out the best girls for us in the city, but it looks like his luck has changed… she was good-looking, I'll give him that… but that's all I can give him, haha!_

Chrissy was asking what was wrong, or something. _'Oh well, nothing is wrong with me. Maybe she's talking to Shane. Though, this sandwich tastes wrong.' _Jordan opened his sub to find out why. _'Mayonnaise! Chrissy knows I hate mayo! Why the heck did she put it on my sandwich? Oh well, there's only a few more bites left… but still… mayonnaise… well, look on the bright side… I don't like crazy girls!'_

Jordan nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden noise. _'Oh, it's just the door. Well I'm not getting it. Maybe Chrissy will answer and I'll be able to throw the rest of this mayo sub away without her seeing.'_ His next thought made his laughter even harder to control._ 'Shane should answer… maybe he'll find another crazy girl!!!'_ His sister had reached the door by this time, and started to pull it open. Two girls stood in the doorway, the brunette from earlier, and… _'Haha!!! It's not another crazy girl, but the same one! Maybe she's stalking him!'_

Another glance at the door brought his attention to the other girl, or more accurately, a pair of ice blue eyes, but that was all. He didn't get a smile, nod, or wave from the red head. _'Oh please, don't let her be crazy too!'_ He tore his gaze away and listened to his sister's conversation with the girl in green. _'Nami. I think that's what she said her friend's name is. Wait a second! What's the brunette doing being normal? She's supposed to be crazy! I'm supposed to be laughing at Shane for liking the crazy girl… but she seems normal now… but what about Nami?'_

**xXx**

Celia and Nami walked into the mid-sized room, looking to see if they could find a chair, but there were none to be seen amongst the unpacked boxes. And the two city boys made no move to offer theirs.

"Oh gosh! I forgot that the rest of the chairs are still hidden somewhere in this mess…" The slim girl ended with almost a whisper. Suddenly she whirled around to the twins. "Get up and give the ladies your chairs! And then get some of those extra crates for yourself! And don't make me tell you again! I've got to start the tea."

Slowly, identical bodies rose from their chairs, shaking off their stupor at the exact same moment.

"Here you go," Shane murmured to the brunette, gazing at her shocked expression.

"Oh, thank you." The girl took the chair and sat down, plastering a smile to her face, but saying nothing more. Her silence left Shane with his thoughts once again.

'_Is she shocked because of Chrissy acting like that? Or that a guy would give up a chair for her?'_ A glance at the other girl told him that it must be because of Chrissy. A hint of amusement danced in the distance behind her cold blue eyes.

"Uh… here… take my chair," said the other boy moments later. "I'm Jordan, by the way." Nami's gaze flickered back and forth between boy and chair, before she slowly reached out to grab it. She didn't have to catch Celia's gaze to know that there were brown eyes glaring at her, daring her not to respond.

"Thanks"

Jordan nodded at the girl. "No problem. You're Nami, right?" He looked around for a crate to sit on, and placed it not too far, but not too close to the red head.  
"Yeah," was her reply, the bored look never leaving her face. Shane watched his brother, interested in how Jordan would respond. _'Ha! Jordan likes this girl, I can tell, but she doesn't seem to want anything to do with him! That is definitely a first! I'll have to rib him about it later.'_

Chrissy turned from the stove at that moment, a full steaming mug of tea in each hand. "Here, I hope orange tea is fine. I couldn't find the other boxes in this disaster area." The blonde turned to get tea for her identical brothers, and finally served her own.

Celia watched as the slender girl pulled up her own chair next to Shane. She could feel a strong jealousy washing over her, but somehow managed to keep the smile on her face. _'She's much to young for him! Why couldn't she like the other brother? They're identical!'_ Her thoughts were interrupted when the green-eyed girl began to speak. She had apparently missed part of the conversation, but no one seemed to notice.

"…How I'm going to get all of this unpacked before I have to head back to the city. I wish I could stay longer, but this is the last day of winter break and no way is dad going to let me miss the first day back to school." The disappointed look on Chrissy's face made Celia's heart reach out to the younger girl.

"Oh, I know it must be hard to leave your boyfriend so far away, but why don't you take the rest of the day off and go visit around town..." Loud laughter interrupted her "comforting speech." _'Why is… Jordan? I think that's his name. Why's he laughing? And what's with Chrissy and Shane? They look confused, and horrified.' _She glanced over at Nami to see the red head's reaction to all of this, but her friend's face held no expression. "Um," she started nervously, "I hate to sound cliché, but was it something I said?"

"Well…" Chrissy started.

Shane interrupted her, "She is not my girlfriend! She's my sister!" His words came out unintentionally loud, bringing after it an awkward silence in the room. _'Didn't Chris mention that earlier? Did Celia not hear her? Someone needs to say something, this is really weird.'_

"I've got to get going." Surprisingly, Nami was the first to speak. She glanced down at the drink she'd barely touched before adding, "thanks for the tea." She stood up and passed the chair back to Jordan. Blue eyes locked with brown for a brief moment. "Thanks again," she whispered before heading out the door, ignoring Celia's eyes pleading her to stay.

Celia sighed as she watched the door shut behind her best friend. _'I guess I'd better go to. I've embarrassed myself, and Vesta is going to kill me for being gone for so long.' _"You know, I'd better go too. I have to get to work. What time do you leave Chrissy?"

"My dad is coming at around 9:00, I think he said. He couldn't come help with the move because of work, but he still wants to see the boys off, I guess. It's only about 2 hours back to the city," rushed the blonde, finally taking a breath when she finished.

"Okay then. Sorry about the… misunderstanding. But do try to take a walk around town and meet some people. There are a lot of interesting characters living in the Valley. Don't worry so much about unpacking. I'd be willing--- I mean, lots of people here would be willing to help out when they have spare time." A masculine voice made her jump (because she'd been paying attention to Chrissy.)

"We just might take you up on that." Shane saw that he had startled the girl, but she finally brought her gaze to meet his own. _'Those eyes. I love those eyes.'_

"O… o… okay." The brunette girl stammered. The sound of a clock chiming noon cracked through the tension in the air, startling everyone in the room. _'Since when am I so jumpy? Noon? Crap, Vesta really will kill me now, I missed all of my morning chores.'_ "I really do need to go." She rose quickly and opened the door. "Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything!" she said as she ran out the door.

Chrissy looked at her two brothers. They were in no better shape than before the visitors. _'Oh well, I can't stay forever and time isn't going to wait for them to grow up.'_ She put the now empty chair up to the table, then addressed her brothers. "All right you guys. Snap out of it. They are just girls, nothing you haven't seen before. We need to find the other three chairs and whatever else to finish setting up. Is everything off the moving truck?" At the twin's nods, she continued, but in a slightly more relaxed tone. "Okay then. Let's get this place into some semblance of order, then we'll take a break and go meet the town. Move it!"

* * *

Well, I hope you liked it! No cliff hangers or anything, which I seriously considered, but the story begged to be written this way. Some things can't be helped, I guess. Please R&R and let us know what you think of it!

-Lauren-

-drchix-


	4. Chapter 3: Intermission

So... the disclaimer is on the last 3 chapters... read it there if you care. This chapter is called intermission because there isn't a lot of substance in it... but necessary crap to get to the nex tpart of the story. Yup that's about it, R&R plz, sorry about the long wait for the update. -Lauren

* * *

Celia and Nami parted ways when they left the farm. Celia saw Nami head in the direction of the beach, then she sped off towards the garden where Vesta was already hard at work. "I'm here! Sorry about not being here this morning! I'll work extra hard!" she exclaimed, bending down to snatch up a weed and using her other hand to push back a sweaty strand of hair. 

Vesta straightened and walked over to Celia. "Get up. I'm giving you the day off. It was Marlin's idea… you should go thank him."

"Wha…? Are you sure?" Celia's signature look --- the confused one --- fell over her face.

"Get up before I change my mind." Vesta pulled the young woman to her feet. "Get out of here… and make sure you give Marlin a proper thank you." With that said, Vesta gave a sly wink and turn back to her work before Celia could respond.

Dazed, Celia slowly walked towards the house, replaying the last few minutes in her mind. '_What is going on? This has been a really weird day…'_ Just as she reached the door, it burst open and scared her. She screamed and jumped back as a giant basket of tomatoes exited the house.

"Sorry Celia, didn't mean to scare you. I gotta deliver these tomatoes to Zack before noon. See you later!"

'_Oh, that was just Marlin. Oh! I was supposed to thank him for something… I'll do it later'_ Celia climbed the ladder to her loft bedroom. The first sight she saw when she reached the top shocked her. It was her own reflection. _'I'm a mess! I can't believe I've been out in public looking like this! I better get fixed up before I enjoy my day off.'_

* * *

'_Finally I got out of there!' _Nami said her goodbyes to Celia then headed back to the inn. _'I'll go change into my swim suit then head to the beach… a swim would help me clear my head.' _She broke into a jog, the idea of a swim enticing her to hurry. She grabbed the first bathing suit she saw, a brown and white polka-dot bikini. _It's not my favorite one… but who cares? The ocean is calling to me. I'll just change down there in that little cove. I'm the only one who knows about it, I think.' _The red-head headed back outside, then south toward the beach. Gradually, her steps slowed as she began to let herself contemplate the morning's events.

* * *

_'A whole day to myself… well half a day… but what am I going to do with it? I guess I could head up to the spring. I don't get a chance to do that very often.' _Celia started walking slowly, enjoying the fragrance of moondrops in the air. She reached the path that would take her to the spring, and glanced over at the now occupied farm. The three siblings were just leaving, probably to explore. Chrissy glanced over and a look of recognition washed over her face. Celia waved then continued on her way. _'Now I want to go spend time with him…them, I mean. I should probably just give them some alone time before Chrissy leaves.'_

* * *

"Oh look, there's your girlfriend," Chrissy told her brother in a teasing voice. 

"Where? I mean, she's not my girlfriend… but she is really cute. You can be so immature sometimes Chrissy." Shane looked around as he spoke but didn't see any sign of the brown-haired beauty.

"Yeah yeah whatever… you can flirt later. Let's go see the town!" The blonde grabbed both of her brother's hands and pulled as hard as she could. They just stood there, bored looks on their faces until she gave up.

"Why don't we go the way Celia was going? She said she was going to work, so we can see what kind of work she does and meet who she-"

"We could head to the beach. Find out how nice it is since I'm sure we'll be-"

Chrissy glared at the twins. "No, we're going to **town**. You guys can chase the girls later, when I'm gone. Spend some time with your sister for heaven's sake."

Jordan gave her an innocent look. "Shane is the one chasing girls. I figured you would enjoy the beach, maybe collect some shells."

"Oh no you don't. Don't think I didn't see a red head headed that way. Please just stay with me… I'm not gonna see you for a while after this…" tears sprung into the young girl's eyes. "Please?"

"Okay…" the twins said in unison. "Where do you want to go?"

"You know you guys freak me out when you do that… how about… over to the inn? We can meet whoever runs it."

"All right, let's go."

"It's up to you." Again twins spoke in unison, though the creepy effect wasn't there. Chrissy gave them a grateful look then headed towards the neon flashing sign. "I hope they're open…" she muttered.


End file.
